Chapter 4 #2
It didn’t take long for the group to order dinner and a round of beer. Justin’s stomach growled, and he hadn’t realized before how hungry he was.
“Looks like we’ve got a nice few days ahead, but then there’s some bad weather on the way,” Liam said after the server took their orders. “Colder temps and rain, maybe some sleet. I don’t mind the cold, but I’m not quite ready for winter.”
Liam’s fluffy red coat kept him plenty warm when he was a fox. Justin didn’t mind the cold, or he wouldn’t have stuck around upstate New York, but he preferred warmer days and bright sun.
“Cold weather is good for library traffic,” Russ reminded his partner.
Justin didn’t normally mind the cold, but a recent knee injury made him feel stiffer when the weather was cool and damp.
He and Russ had both been hurt when part of the building collapsed while fighting a fire.
Justin knew he was lucky to make a good recovery and hoped that the remaining side effects would eventually fade.
“Not too bad for ice fishing or cross-country skiers,” Drew mused. He was Russ’s younger brother, and the family resemblance was apparent in both their human and wolf forms.
Justin was quiet as he tuned into his weather sense. “I have the feeling we’re going to get more winter weather this year than we have for a while.”
“You’re right more often than not, so it’s worth a lot,” Noah said. “I already have several contracts for winter photography, so I’m not complaining. We’ve had a busy year.”
“Scott said that the old mine in Platt Mountain got bought and is starting up again. Has anyone else heard anything?” Liam glanced around to make sure no one else was close enough to eavesdrop.
“I don’t even know where that is,” Brandon admitted. “But I pick up negative vibes.”
“Old iron mining area,” Russ spoke up. “Sourced some of the purest iron in the world, or so they say. Got used in the Brooklyn Bridge and a bunch of other famous projects. It was a big industry, and then everything shut down and moved out.”
“Scott is researching stories about the mine for an article,” Justin said.
“He said he mentioned it to you. Is there a problem?” Justin remembered that according to Scott, Liam had seemed uncomfortable with the topic.
Liam always seemed to be in the know, but whether that had more to do with being a librarian or his natural inquisitiveness as a fox shifter, Justin wasn’t sure.
“What did you hear?” Riley asked.
“Mining was big business in the mountains north of here about a hundred years ago,” Liam said.
“I looked into it after Justin asked me about the creature you saw in the tunnel. There was lots of money to be made in mining, but it’s a dangerous business, and workers got killed or badly injured.
When demand slowed, and it got too expensive to ship the cargo or the deposits ran out, the mines closed up and moved out, and so did the workers. ”
“Leaving behind the mines,” Russ added.
Liam nodded. “Which created its own set of problems. They could gate off the entrance or even collapse it, but that didn’t get rid of the mine itself.
“The Platt Mountain mines were some of the deepest in North America,” he added, and Justin hid a smile knowing that Liam’s inner librarian was warming to the topic. “Three thousand feet. It took the miners an hour to get to the bottom of the elevator shafts. It’s not like that can be filled in.”
“Which sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.” Riley sighed. “Probably a minor miracle that a bunch of kids haven’t decided to go spelunking and break in to explore.”
“Down that deep, sometimes there are things that exist,” Liam said. “There are all kinds of old stories about leaving them alone and not letting them get out. But that doesn’t mean they’re evil, just dangerous.”
“Whatever we saw on that VFD call-out a couple of days ago about the ‘monster’ made me ask Liam to help look into the legends,” Justin told them.
“It was seriously creepy.” Drew turned to Liam. “Did you find anything?”
Liam shook his head. “No. Which worries me. Those old mining towns live on in people’s imaginations.
There’s a rough romance to it, I guess, although it was a hard, dirty, dangerous business that never paid enough.
Still, just knowing those mines are up there, even behind gates and walls, gets people thinking up stories.
I’m hoping there isn’t anything behind these creature sightings besides some mutant bears. But I’d like to find out more.”
He paused to drink his soda. “That area is more than an hour away from Fox Hollow, but any kind of industry up there would bring more traffic through the region. Could be good for business, but more traffic also means more strangers.”
Everyone at the table knew what that meant. Fox Hollow took its role as a haven for people with special abilities seriously. Secrets were harder to keep with more people passing through.
“Can’t do anything until we get details,” Russ said. “No use worrying until we do.”
“There are some uses that might not cause problems,” Drew mused.
“Companies use old mines to store data and records. That wouldn’t bring in tourists; those sites are usually pretty well locked down.
Might encourage the developer to contribute to road maintenance and general area cleanup.
I don’t think those sorts of places have much regular staff, so I doubt it would bring a big rush of strangers. ”
“Scott talked to someone at the Institute,” Justin spoke up.
“They confirmed that there are ghosts near the mine, but not in it due to the iron. As for the creatures it was a similar answer, the iron was likely to keep them away. The Fox people didn’t elaborate more, but they also didn’t rule them out. ”
“The Fox Institute might have already quietly done some magic to keep the mine sealed,” Brandon said. “Maybe they need to refresh their spells. It wouldn’t hurt to ask them directly. They may be more open with us since we’re local. No offense, but they may not trust Scott enough to be honest.”
“Let’s hope,” Liam said. “I’ll keep my ears open.
Libraries are usually in the first wave to hear about new corporate projects, especially local ones that might create jobs.
” He paused. “I’m worried less about creatures than bad people.
Scott asked about the company that bought the mine, and when I did some research. I didn’t like what I found.”
“Oh?” Justin asked.
“Scott said there are rumors they’re tied to the Mob.
He also wondered if the original mine owners also had ties to organized crime; maybe even Mafia witches,” Liam replied.
“I didn’t find proof of that, but I also didn’t find anything that disproved it.
Which is dangerous for the area, and risky for Scott being curious. ”
Justin and Russ exchanged a look. Justin had no doubt that his friend would brief Drew and the others in private, but the mention of the Mob just made Justin surer the poacher’s death was really a hit.
“I’ll see if I can get him to stop digging.
He’s like a dog with a bone. But I’ll try.
I’m also hoping with the weather turning colder, we’ll see an end to the poachers,” Justin added.
“It’s been worse this year than the last few.
We catch one group, and two more seem to pop up.
Sooner or later, they’re going to get a shifter by mistake, and we’ll have a homicide to deal with and a big chance of blowing the secret. ”
The conversation veered away from rumors about the old mine to television shows and the weather, and then to preparations for Halloween.
“Fox Hollow is always small but mighty when it comes to Halloween,” Russ said. “We get the last of the leaf-peepers, and it’s a big deal for the stores. I’m pleased with what I’ve heard from the events committee.”
“They try to outdo themselves every year,” Drew agreed. “And they succeed. I’m always astonished by the decorations and the parade.”
“Oh, the library has been making plans since the summer,” Liam assured them.
“We’ve got a very tuned-in committee. They just love an excuse to throw a big party.
” He grinned. “Plenty of spooky story hours, a costume contest based on book characters with a march around the building, and a float in the parade. Probably other stuff they haven’t even told me about yet. ”
Liam winked at Justin. “And Scott’s already joined the committee. Putting down roots?”
Justin returned an innocent grin that didn’t fool anyone. “Maybe.”
“Lowe’s Auto Shop will represent, as usual,” Russ said.
“We’ll have our usual float in the parade, and Drew is running the annual soap box derby,” he said with a nod to his younger brother.
“All the derby cars need to be decorated like ones from spooky movies. The older kids and younger teens really love that.”
“I’ll be doing flyovers during the parade, and there’ll be a lot of short tour flights,” Justin added. “I love the festivals. They’re some of my favorite times all year.”
Unlike some of his friends, Justin had grown up in Fox Hollow. He tried not to take the town’s special charm for granted or forget the value of its secret welcome for shifters.
He hoped that would be one more thing in his favor as he tried to convince Scott to relocate.
“I think we’ve got all of our regular contributors and exhibitors returning,” Brandon reported. Justin knew it would be unusual for a local company not to return at some level, barring an unexpected big expense or investment.
“Good. It’s always one of my favorite events of the year,” Justin said. “I hope it never changes.”
His friends said goodbye outside the restaurant as they headed to their cars. Justin’s phone rang just as he got home, and he smiled to see Scott’s number.
“Hey. How was your day?” He pulled into the garage and shut off the engine. Justin had bought the house from his parents when they retired and moved south, and he valued the memories it held.